The SimCity Blog has a follow-up to recent outcry over plans to require an internet connection to play the upcoming SimCity revival (thanks GameSpot). Lucy Bradshaw explains to players how this will make the game "even more fun." Here's a bit:

Running the regional simulation on our servers is something we also use to support features that will make this SimCity even more fun. We use the Sim data to update worldwide leaderboards, where you get to see your city or mayoral standings as compared to the other cities in your region and between all of the regions in the world. And since SimCity is a live service, we're also using the data to create weekly global and local challenges for our players that keep the gameplay fresh and surprising.

We think this is the best SimCity ever and it wouldn’t be possible without the technology that powers our game. SimCity was designed to be connected from the ground up. We built the game around GlassBox, which takes the game to another level. And, we’ve given the player control over how to play. You can set your region to private and never interact with other people, or you can play exclusively with friends or join a public region.

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Heck even steam nowadays is a no buy for me. Logging on takes forever, once logged on, *bing bing* mandatory update to steam. Once steam is updated *bing bing* mandatory 100+ meggers patch to download before being able to even try to start the damn game that's supposed to be playable in the shipping state. *ctrl-alt-del* *kill process* *throws 60$ in the trash* Thx bbye.

Steam updates are optional to restart the computer. They are also pretty small, since the client itself isn't that largeIf you set steam into offline and play only there, you can get at least a few weeks out of playing most of their games without patching it. You can also set games to never update, although steam seems to have issues with respecting that.

If you are indeed on a 56k modem, there are some things you can do to help or mitigate the situation. For instance, libraries often have broadband access and/or wireless. Many free wireless hotspots are out there. Most of GoG titles once you download them they install and you are done. So if you were able to download them at a friends house, that would get the titles installed at least.

For once a constructive post about this issue, I HAD to underline it :).

But, I'm already doing pretty much everything you describe here. Still, buying a game, coming home and being presented with mandatory too huge to download on a 56k modem patches is a no-buy for me. For the really "wanted" games I have to haul my computer tower 25 kilometers away for steam to update and install it to be playable. And no, there aren't any local libraries/public services adressing this issue. I'm trying to get a free hotspot going but most of the population already being connected recently, they don't really care and see it as wasted taxes even tho it's only a small fraction ( the core ) of the village that is being serviced. You know the irony in this? If only they had taken the money we've been sending them the past 15 years ( 25 per month, that's around 4500$ per household ) to put a few repeaters on the line, we'd pretty much all be connected, but they didn't because they don't have any competition, so why bother? Even more ridiculous is the fact that the smallest high speed package they offer is LESS pricey than dialup by 5$, go figure...